This has become one of the best rivalries in the NHL over the last couple of seasons. Both fanbases can’t stand each other, and both teams are extremely competitive in the Pacific Division, with playoff, and Stanley Cup aspirations. That makes these games even more fun to watch.
The Edmonton Oilers returned to Vancouver for the first time since their Game 7 victory against the Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Like they did that night, the Oilers emerged victorious in this one. With that said, here are five takeaways from this 7-3 shellacking:
The Oilers’ Depth Scoring Contributes
For years, the Oilers have had a problem generating offence from their depth players, which is still the case. This team is extremely top-heavy and relies on their big guns to produce, so it’s nice to see contributions from their bottom six.
Corey Perry scored the second goal of the game on a beautiful feed from Mattias Janmark. Perry has been solid in his role, scoring his third of the season. While his foot speed has decreased with his age, his hands have not. He still has great mitts in tight and has the ability to finish his chances, which has been a major issue for the fourth line over the years. Janmark finished the game with three assists, and Perry had a goal, with 12:54 minutes of ice time.
At the start of the season, nobody thought Brett Kulak would be tied for second on the team in goals (4) after the first 15 games, but here we are. He has the same number of goals as Connor McDavid, and more than Jeff Skinner, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Viktor Arvidsson, and Evan Bouchard. The third-pairing defenceman is one the most unlikely goal-scorers on the team but has scored in two straight games.
Related: 5 Takeaways From the Oilers’ First 10 Games
Connor Brown also had a great game, with a two-goal performance. He was a force on the forecheck and protected the puck extremely well in the offensive zone, which led to success. If he can play like this while sprinkling some offence into his game, the Oilers will be even more dangerous. Brown was on a line with Nugent-Hopkins and Henrique. This line has the makings of an effective third line that defends well while also generating some offence. Brown is now up to three goals, which is one less than he had all of last season. The depth players are stepping up and that’s great to see.
Oilers’ Offence Emerges
Finally, the Oilers’ offence woke up. It was only a matter of time before the puck started going in for them. Coming into this game, the Oilers were third-last in the league in goals-for with only 2.34 goals per 60 minutes. However, they were 10th in the league in expected goals-for with 3.19 per 60 minutes. They also ranked dead last in shooting percentage at only 7.1%. This team was generating quality looks, but the puck just wasn’t going in. That changed tonight, as they put seven pucks past goaltender Kevin Lankinen.
Oilers’ Physicality Is Lacking
Heading into this contest, the Oilers were second-last in the league in hits delivered with only 195, while taking 291 hits. They’ve been out-hit in 11 of their 15 games so far this season, including being out-hit 34-10 in this game.
This team really misses Evander Kane in their lineup. While he’s a polarizing player, he brings much-needed physicality to this organization. Edmonton gets pushed around far too often, so Kane’s presence is overlooked and undervalued. When healthy, he gives this lineup an offensive punch while providing some grit. Kane averaged 3.25 hits per game last season, and this team could sure use his services right about now. Hopefully, he comes back 100% and is a major factor down the stretch.
Connor McDavid Seems Off
McDavid has not looked like himself so far this season. He just returned from an ankle injury after a three-game absence, but he hasn’t looked the same all season, even before the injury. We are used to seeing this franchise player dominate the opposition, but so far, that hasn’t been the case.
While he did get a goal and two assists against the Canucks, he hasn’t been a difference-maker. He’s shown spurts of brilliance in the offensive zone, but nothing sustained. He generates chances by gaining speed through the neutral zone, or by using his quickness, agility, and elusiveness off the cycle. However, other teams are forcing him to make plays which is leading to a lot of turnovers and mishandled pucks. We are not used to seeing the superstar forward bobble the puck this much. There was a play in the first period where McDavid tried to toe-drag the puck to the middle of the ice, and he just lost the puck there, which led to an easy clearing attempt. Hopefully, he can get back to the player we are used to seeing.
McDavid is usually at the top of the points leaderboard, but he only has 13 points in 12 games so far this season, which ranks 49th in the league, tied with 21 other players. This was his first three-point game of the season. Milestone watch is on as he’s only five points away from 1,000 in his NHL career.
Oilers Dominate the Third Period
After nearly relinquishing their early 3-0 lead in the second period, the Oilers put the pedal to the floor and scored four unanswered goals within a five-minute stretch in the third period to ultimately put this game away.
Related: Oilers Use Strong 3rd Period to Dismantle the Canucks 7-3
After taking a 3-0 lead, the Canucks battled back, scoring two goals, only two minutes apart to cut the Oilers’ lead to one. Head coach Kris Knoblauch called a much-needed timeout after the Canucks’ second goal to help settle the team down. That ended up being a great call and arguably changed the completion of this game. Knoblauch’s team was getting outworked badly and needed a reset.
They outshot Vancouver 16-6 in the final frame while cycling the puck down low, and just wearing down the Canucks blue line, which ultimately resulted in quality scoring chances. They finally got rewarded for their efforts on a few goals which Lankinen would probably like back. The Oilers have run into some great goaltending as of late, but not this time.
This was a huge road win against a division rival. The Oilers return home for a mini two-game homestand against the New York Islanders and the Nashville Predators before hitting the road for three games through Eastern Canada.
